At what point do you not shoot a levergun?

[TedH]

Last fall I bought a beautiful 1894 Winchester, 38-55 that was made in 1895. I posted about it here, as some of you may recall. I paid a fair sum for it, but felt it was worth it given it's high condition. Well, after getting it lettered and watching some similar rifles sell at some high end auction houses, I'm convinced my rifle is worth a lot more than what I paid, if I were to try to sell it with Rock Island or similar auction house.
I have been shooting it a little, experimenting with alloys, and powder. I have it shooting exceptionally well for a 131 year old rifle, but each time I take it out lately I feel like even though I'm overly cautious and careful with it, there has to be some wear just from handling it. I'm almost to the point where I feel bad just taking it out and shooting it.
I have other similar age rifles that I shoot regularly and it is very enjoyable, but they don't match the condition of the 38-55.

[gamekeeper]

I know that feeling and have always been happier shooting easily replaceable firearms than the rare and expensive kind, but I would continue to shoot that Winchester occasionally with care ... Congratulations for finding such a nice rifle.

[AJMD429]

I know that feeling and have always been happier shooting easily replaceable firearms than the rare and expensive kind, but I would continue to shoot that Winchester occasionally with care ... Congratulations for finding such a nice rifle.

Same here. I have enough 'truck guns' and 'shooters' to entertain myself. The few 'safe queens' I own are used much less often.

However - unless they are guns I would ACTUALLY sell someday that I bought as an 'investment', I don't feel worry so much about decreasing 'collector value' as I do just not wanting to break something irreplaceable.

[OldWin]

Your 38-55 is an excellent early 1894. I have several 38-55 's and it is one of my favorite chamberings.
If it was a mediocre shooter, and you had another example that shot better, I could see shelving it. However, since it shoots exceptionally well, it would be a sin NOT to shoot it. As long as you aren't shooting extreme pressure loads, and are caring for it as you should, I would feel zero guilt. If for whatever reason you can't enjoy shooting it, then you may as well sell it for profit and get something else. Just my opinion of course.

[fordwannabe]

I feel EXACTLY the same way Old Win does, I have a 1893 Marlin in very good condition made in 1894, also in 38-55 and the first thing I did was put some rounds through it. Not excessive or often but yeah, I gotta shoot it.

[Shasta]

If you owned a new Corvette, would you leave it in the garage just because it was too valueable to drive? I think not. That rifle was built to be used and enjoyed, so use it!

Shasta

[Lastmohecken]

I try not to abuse them, but just use them when I want to. Some guns, I might not hunt in the rain with, I don't hunt in the rain on purpose unless I am on a trip away from home or something, but if there's a strong probability of getting rained on, then I have certain guns to I choose. But lots of people won't take a nice wood stocked gun hunting, because they are worried about scratching the stock, me? I generally hate plastic stocks and such, and don't worry much about scratches.

I have one pre-64 Winchester Model 94 that lives in a saddle scabbard on my side by side, year around. My brother-in-law asked me one day, why I didn't carry something else, and I told him, the gun only has to last me another 20 years if I am lucky, then it's someone else's problem. The gun is not pristine by a long shot, anyway. Now, I do have nicer guns, that I wouldn't do that to.

[.45colt]

I have never owned any gun that nice, but if it were Mine I would keep it in a gun sock when not in use , and have a thick pad to put it on the shooting bench. it drives me nuts when I see an otherwise A+ gun for sale and see a bunch of "safe dings" all over it.

[marlinman93]

I've never owned an old rifle I wont shoot. I've been fortunate to add some rifles that are worth five figure numbers, and had them out to the range as soon as I could after getting them. I handle them carefully and don't take them out hunting, but I do shoot them a lot. I know they were all built to be shot, so I can't see any reason I'd hurt the value by not continuing to shoot them with reasonable loads. It's actually part of enjoying ownership and caretaking of old guns for me. If I didn't do it I'd never know what the original owner felt like when he shot it.

[hfcable]

i have an 1894 38/55 made in 1895, not as nice as yours i think, but it has gone on numerous fly-in remote hunts and taken caribou, and i think the rifle and i both enjoyed the adventure !!



even this very rare and fine 1876 in 50/95 has gone on a remote hunt too




and this really nice original 1895 405 got to go at least twice



just be careful and probably dont haul them around on your 4 wheeler much, but maybe the next owner wont do this, but i am glad i did.

[jkbrea]

You could shoot the heck out of it and probably still get more than you paid.....and YOU got to enjoy it!

[Blaine]

Shoot it at the range.
You have plenty of great guns to take hunting.

[JB]

About the only ones I won't shoot are collectible guns still in unfired condition or rare guns with parts that can't readily be replaced. Others get shot, even if it's just mild loads at the range.

[piller]

Have fun with it at the range. No sense letting it just sit. Small amounts of wear from shooting it are no big deal.

[Lastmohecken]

i have an 1894 38/55 made in 1895, not as nice as yours i think, but it has gone on numerous fly-in remote hunts and taken caribou, and i think the rifle and i both enjoyed the adventure !!



even this very rare and fine 1876 in 50/95 has gone on a remote hunt too




and this really nice original 1895 405 got to go at least twice



just be careful and probably dont haul them around on your 4 wheeler much, but maybe the next owner wont do this, but i am glad i did.

Now, those are some find old rifles. I would baby them for sure, but I would still hunt with them, if I took the notion.

[Walt]

You have some stunningly beautiful guns there, Harold.

Thanks for the pictures!

[4t5]

Remember , auction houses get a cut .
You may be left with less than you think.

[Griff]

Yep, I'm with OldWin & Shasta. Enjoy it.. take care of it... you never know how the next owner will care for it.

[Bryan Austin]

At what point do you not shoot a levergun?

When they pry it from my cold dead hands!

[jeepnik]

When I don't have any ammo. But then I'd just make some so I guess the answer is really never.

[mickbr]

Id use it. After all fellas take double rifles that cost as much as a car to Africa and use them...... carefully.

[Drawdown]

I just checked back in here this morning, but I saw the title of this thread I think about the first day or two it was posted? But I didn't read it then, but thought about my "constant and always the same thoughts on the subject "?
For me, Lord never could I quit using one my Favorite's, as long as im breathing, able bodied, with my living thoughts!
I see "hfcables post, and say Amen, im say way, and his pics are admirable to me, especially that old deluxe 94, a gun id very much enjoy, and put to use! And any gun i put to use, is 95% of the time, takes a beating on a 4W to get to our hunting & shooting grounds, no matter what its worth in $, its only worth to me is our time together! But I do my best to protect and care for my favorites in the process!
That gun collector mentality that's totally toward "put it in a collection in a cabinet or safe, hid away, does not compute in my head! To me that's kinda like The Lord gave me two fine Son's and I had no thoughts of keeping hid in their bed rooms protected from the world, they gotta get out, live, suffer injury and the world, anything less is No Life at all!
And Amen "When they pry my guns from my cold dead hands"!
To each his own toward their use, but let them be used!

[piller]

I do not really understand keeping a gun to not be used. Abused and used are not the same. My .32 Special does not get a lot of use, but ammunition is slightly more costly than for a .30-30, and they do similar jobs. Additionally, the .32 Special is a Winchester, and I am becoming more fond of scopes as I get older.

[Griff]

My two favorite leverguns would be considered abominations by most collectors, since originality and condition seem to bring such high premiums. Yet, to me they're beautiful examples of the "levergun". One started life as a standard late 1970's carbine, the other as a 1967 Canadian Centennial. I changed the 1979 carbine into my version of a target rifle, while someone else altered the CC into a "Trapper". I added custom wood to both, and put sights on both that differ slightly from what was present. Both have been taken hunting and taken game. Both are somewhat pampered, remaining cased until needed. The rifle has been to several competitions, winning or losing as befitting my performance on that day. Trying to figure which is shot more would be problematic... I've had the rifle longer, so I've shot it more... but since getting the Trapper, they've pretty much both been shot equally often. And neither comes close to the levergun I shoot the most, a 2014 production Uberti '73 short rifle.

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if you click on the pictures, you'll see a few dings, etc. in the 12 year old pic. Not necessarily from being thrown around, but it's stored in the safe, with other guns that all come out and go in, rides in my "gun cart" during matches, and suffers from general "handling". I only lay it down on its left, and generally most of the surfaces at our clubs are carpeted (indoor/outdoor type) so one has to be fairly careless in their handling to really sustain much damage. The dings on the right side of the stock are most likely from my shotgun, as to minimize the space I use at our loading tables the shotgun butt lays across the rifle butt.

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I have a couple of mdl 94s that haven't been shot much at all. A Legendary Lawman "Trapper" along with several other carbines and rifles... mainly because I have other choices. The LL has been shot, taking a couple coyotes when it happened to be in the front of the safe at the time. My BiCentennial carbine remains unfired, again, solely because it came to me that way, & with many other Winchester 94 carbines... it's never approached that "I need to shoot it" level.